Wüster W, Thorpe R S
School of Biological Sciences, University College of North Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK.
Experientia. 1994 Jan 15;50(1):75-9. doi: 10.1007/BF01992054.
Because of possible variation in venom composition, an understanding of venomous snake systematics is of great importance for the optimization of antivenom treatment of snakebite patients. Intraspecific variation in the morphology of many venomous snakes complicates the definition and identification of some species when allopatric populations are involved. Selectively neutral or near-neutral mtDNA sequences can reveal evolutionary relationships obscured by ecogenetically-caused morphological variation. We use comparative sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene to reveal the existence of a widespread, cryptic species of spitting cobra from southeast Asia. This species, Naja siamensis, is widely sympatric with other Asiatic cobra species. This may be of considerable medical significance, and calls for further research into venom composition in Asiatic cobras.
由于毒液成分可能存在差异，了解毒蛇系统分类对于优化蛇咬伤患者的抗蛇毒血清治疗至关重要。当涉及异域种群时，许多毒蛇形态的种内变异使某些物种的定义和鉴定变得复杂。选择性中性或近中性的线粒体DNA序列可以揭示被生态遗传导致的形态变异所掩盖的进化关系。我们通过对细胞色素氧化酶亚基1基因进行比较测序，揭示了东南亚一种广泛存在的隐匿性喷毒眼镜蛇物种的存在。这种物种，即暹罗眼镜蛇，与其他亚洲眼镜蛇物种广泛同域分布。这可能具有相当大的医学意义，并呼吁对亚洲眼镜蛇的毒液成分进行进一步研究。
